Kenneth Allen Francis, Firearms Trafficking, CO 2016

Denver man Kenneth Allen Francis, 29, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison on November 4, 2016, for illegally buying firearms and funneling them to prohibited individuals—including convicted felons—using YouTube to advertise his criminal service, federal authorities announced.

U.S. District Court Judge William J. Martinez handed down the sentence after a jury trial in July 2016, where Francis was convicted on three counts: two counts of making false statements to federally licensed firearms dealers on January 12 and January 22, 2016, and one count of unlawful disposition of a firearm on January 22. The defendant was remanded into custody immediately following sentencing.

The case began when Francis uploaded a video to YouTube declaring, “I’m here to help you get your guns,” and explicitly stated he didn’t care if the buyer had a violent criminal history or was a sex offender. That video caught the attention of ATF investigators, who launched an undercover operation to test the legitimacy of his offer.

It didn’t take long for the scheme to unravel. On January 12, 2016, Francis purchased an AR-15 style rifle for an undercover ATF agent. Ten days later, he bought two semi-automatic handguns for a confidential informant he knew—or should have known—was a convicted felon legally barred from gun ownership. He handed over both pistols without hesitation.

“We can’t have safe communities if people like this are allowed to put AR-15s and semi-auto pistols into the hands of dangerous people,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer. “And we can’t have safe communities without citizens who care alerting law enforcement when they see this kind of behavior.”

ATF Special Agent in Charge Ken Croke added, “Francis knew he was breaking the law. He didn’t care. And he didn’t care about the lives he would have put at risk.” The case was investigated by the ATF and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason St. Julien and Bryan D. Fields.

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